Alaska (Juneau, Skagway) weather?

[cylau]

I hope to get a little help here. We are going on a cruise in Alaska next week. How is the weather like in Juneau and Skagway area? Do I need rain jackets? What should I wear? Do I need thick or snow jackets?

[PeterPan]

Ok, I'm just gonna laugh here, because anyone else who has been to Alaska or lives there probably will too. YES, you need rain gear!!! LOL Here's the stuff I took:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Clothing/Womens-Clothing/Womens-Outerwear/Womens-Rainwear|/pc/104797080/c/104789880/sc/104480280/i/103914180/Cabelas-Womens-GORE-TEX174-PacLite174-Rainy-River-Pants/749665.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fclothing-womens-clothing-womens-outerwear-womens-rainwear%2F_%2FN-1102482%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_103914180%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104797080%253Bcat104480280&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104797080%3Bcat104480280%3Bcat103914180 oh mercy, that made for a really long link. Well it's the waterproof goretex pants from Cabelas. I also took polartec pants from them, and frankly I wore them the entire 2 weeks we were there. I wore them, slept in them, everything. They were perfect. The only day we wanted lighter was up in Fairbanks where it hit 80.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Clothing/Womens-Clothing/Womens-Outerwear/Womens-Rainwear%7C/pc/104797080/c/104789880/sc/104480280/i/103914180/Cabelas-Womens-Dry-Plus-Catalina-Jacket/1157692.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fclothing-womens-clothing-womens-outerwear-womens-rainwear%2F_%2FN-1102482%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_103914180%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104797080%253Bcat104480280 The Dry-Plus Catalina Jacket from cabelas. I had read somewhere online a lady saying she took it on her cruise to Alaska, and it really is the perfect Alaska coat.

 

We all (all 4 of us, including the toddler!) wore Smart Wool socks from Sierra Trading Post. I guess you could say I have a fettish about feet. I DON'T like cold feet, and with those socks we didn't have cold feet. :) We also had waterproof hiking boots we got from there. If you want to hike a glacier or basically hike anywhere, you'll want them. We wore our boots almost exclusively the entire time we were in Alaska.

 

Are you going to Denali National Park as well? You're going to have so much fun. The main thing is to take stuff that's waterproof, take layers, take a hat, take mittens. I had a fleece earwarmer thing that wraps around your head. Looked dorky, but MAN was it perfect for that weather. We didn't do a cruise but instead flew in and took an RV around the state. But from what I've read of the cruises, it's similar. You're going to want layers, want the waterproof, etc. That goretex and the catalina jacket will keep the wind from going through you when you're out on the deck enjoying the view. If you don't want to order from Cabelas, try your local sporting goods store and get things that are waterproof and have fleece inside. Or do a fleece jacket with a waterproof outer jacket, the layers thing. We never needed *more* than waterproof or fleece. So with that and the ability to layer, you'll be fine.

 

Have fun!!!!

Edited August 27, 2011 by OhElizabeth

[ZooRho]

probably cold to most from the lower 48. There is another thread about ak do a search.

 

I would say you do want layers, yes a rain coat would be good. I don't think you would need snow jackets but it could depend on where you want to go.

[Mama Geek]

I would suggest not just rain proof but wind proof for a rain coat especially when you are on the water.

[Starr]

Rain gear is always recommended in SE Alaska. If you get lucky and don't need it, it's luck. :) Dress is casual, layers are great. You'll have a great time!

[buddhabelly]

My husband works on the cruise ships (from Ketchikan in the south to Yakutat in the north) and he says that it has been unusually cold and rainy lately. UNUSUALLY cold and rainy. It did rain almost two inches in one day recently. So. Um. I'm terribly sorry. You might want to pack a fleece hat to go under your raincoat.

 

Or it could be 70 degrees and beautiful. In Skagway, you never know. I remember walking around Skagway all day in fleece pants one day and ROASTING because it warmed up to the 70's.

 

OhElizabeth, did you go there in the SUMMER? (Edited to add: sounds like you did. I guess I'm the kind of person who is always hot unless it's under 55 degrees.) You should be fine without warm footwear unless you're going to do some major hike. Just regular walking/hiking boots if it is nice. And of course your fancy clothes if it's THAT kind of cruise. What's great about cruises is that you don't have to pack up your stuff every couple of days. So I assume that overpacking is allowed and even encouraged? I don't know -- never been on a cruise because that's not what my hubby would want to do on his days off, KWIM? We live in Juneau, Alaska but used to live in Ketchikan, Alaska and of course my husband has been to all your ports thousands of times if you want any recommendations on stuff to do.

 

Have fun! I hope the weather pulls through for you. Hey, it could happen.

 

Julie

[PeterPan]

We were there exactly a year ago actually, so we saw all the fall colors, did the state fair, etc . But we didn't go down to the SE, not enough time, sniff. We did Anchorage and the Kenai and then drove around in an RV to Denali, Fairbanks, etc. I just have this fettish about cold feet (they're cold now and it's 72 in my house!) When you got the thickness of the smart wool socks and a liner in the hiking boots, they fit PERFECTLY and were just so snuggly. But do people on cruises diverge and take a hike? Depends on their extras. I thought I read they could do glacier hikes from there. My dh did Exit glacier in Seward. It was utterly amazing, but again you needed hiking boots, etc.

 

The cruise-oriented accommodations around Denali, etc. were pretty fancy, with people playing piano in the lobby, etc. I guess they wouldn't take kindly to hiking boots and wool socks. So maybe you won't need them after all, lol.